Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Road Trip Kit & The Golden Gift Giving Rules

If you know me well, then you know that one of my favorite things is gift giving! The whole process is so fun for me, I love picking out the perfect gift & I also love wrapping it! I probably get more excited about the gifts I give than the people that are receiving them. I blame my mom for this fascination, she is the most amazing gift giver ever...it's usually hard to top her. She taught me everything I know about the subject & now I will entrust you with her secrets...

2.Presentation iseverything! Think of inventive ways to really wow the receiver before they even open the gift. I usually try to hand-make the wrapping paper &/or the card, I try to make something they can reuse (like if you make the card into a little piece of artwork, they could possibly frame it)

3. Collecting lots of small, inexpensive items & presenting them in fun little reusable containers not only looks amazing but can be so fun for the receiver to open. (tj maxx & marshalls always have the greatest little containers, all shapes, styles & colors) - [my mom wraps our christmas presents in stackable boxes every year (that she always matches to our home decor), each box has prizes in them & then we get to use the boxes to decorate with - I can't tell you how fun this is! My sister-in-laws & I always try to figure out which stacked boxes are ours under the tree each year!]

4. With regards to rule #3, it's fun & easier to find smaller prizes for a "basket" if you pick atheme. (this could be colors, event, hobby, home decor, etc. - the possibilities are endless)5. Don't be afraid to hand-make your gift!! Some of my all-time favorite things are handmade. If you don't have any ideas of what to make, try searching the internet for diy's that fit your "crafting" abilities.

These golden rules can apply to any type of gift, no matter how big or small the event - birthdays, house warmings, hostess gifts, showers, care packages etc. The more creative you get the better!! & the receiver always notices the extra thought & work you put into the gift!

So with all that said, I will share with you one of my recent fun gifts I gave. My amazing sister-in-law is moving ALL the way from Georgia to New Mexico! She is so brave & adventurous, I love that about her! We had a little going away dinner with her recently & I knew I wanted to get her something special for her travels. She is road-tripping it across the country (I am so jealous I can't tag-along)! I decided to put together a little Road Trip Kit to keep her company along the way & to have little reminders of us on her journey. [detailed list of items below images]

Road Trip Kit Essentials!

1. Snacks are a must! I chose items that were healthy, provided energy & wouldn't melt in the car. Target has amazing inexpensive trail mixes!

13. Framed photos of us & her puppy nieces so she doesn't forget us! :)

*not photographed - a mix cd made by my husband Creed for her listening pleasure

I packaged it all in a little container that could be re-used as a trash can in her car & I designed the little Road Trip Kit tag on the computer. Most of the items were found at Target in the travel & dollar section. Very inexpensive but super fun! (she loved it!)

I LOVE this idea! Great job. I love all the little goodies you put in there! I love making gift baskets because they are so unique. You're right, TJ Maxx is my holy grail for making baskets! You can find tons there!

It was the best road trip kit ever, and probably the BEST most thoughtful gift I've ever received! It was great fun unwrapping each goody. I am more than ready to hit the road thanks to the love that went into each and every part of my gift. =D